Troubled Teens Resources

“Sara allowed A&E to film her struggle with her methamphetamine addiction. Despite her pleading parents, Sara refused to seek meth treatment to help with her problem. Although she was a meth addict who had temporarily lost custody of her daughter, the negative effects of meth weren’t enough to stop her. When Sara’s parents noticed the signs of meth use in their house, they knew they had to take action. They held an intervention and convinced Sara that her methamphetamine addiction was out of control, and she finally accepted meth treatment.”
Sara’s Story

“They held an intervention…” What exactly does that look like? For the parent of a troubled teen, intervention can seem a rather intimidating concept and an overwhelming undertaking. Yet,things between you and your teen are deteriorating rapidly, past civility, past reasonable discussions. Now it is either silence or ugly words spit in anger. It may be wise to review what holding an intervention entails.

If submitting your teen’s crisis to A&E’s Intervention has been eliminated as an option, you need to consider whether a formal or informal intervention is appropriate at this stage for your teen..

The following two sites examine both options.

“Intervention does not have to be a formal confrontation of the afflicted person by a group of people. It can be any number of triggers that add up to move a person along a continuum toward help-seeking and wellness. A conversation can be a powerful tool.”
Ten Points for Parents to Intervene With Their Kids

A formal intervention means having a structured conversation with the person. This involves bringing
together a group of people with the substance user to explore how his or her use has affected all their
lives. The formal intervention is usually used when the person has repeatedly refused to get help.
Intervention Quick Guide